THREE Zanu PF provincial executives have vowed to stand by their leaders unilaterally suspended by national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere at the weekend on allegations of disobedience and insolence.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA/ JAIROS SAUNYAMA / Tatenda CHITAGU
Kizito Chivamba (Midlands), Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo) and Joel Biggie Matiza (Mashonaland East) were suspended on allegations of blocking members of the women’s league from attending a rally in Harare to welcome President Robert Mugabe.
The Midlands leadership said the charges were fabricated and meant to weaken one of the strongest provinces of the party.
Saviour Kasukuwere
Provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mupereri said the province was shocked at the charges levelled against Chivamba.
“It is shocking that people who do not even live here alleged that Zanu PF supporters were beaten up and barred from attending a party programme yet nothing of that sort happened,” he said.
“We want to know who took that false information to the commissariat and to what end. In the absence of concrete evidence, we are left to believe that there is a plan to alienate Midlands from Mugabe.”
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Mupereri said Midlands province had always been solidly behind Mugabe and remained his power base, saying any talk of undermining his authority was just pure lies.
“We have never taken our eyes off the ball, to us Mugabe is the sole centre of power which we support fully in this province,” he said.
In Masvingo, the tone was more militant with the provincial executive pleading with Mugabe to rein in his “wayward wife”, Grace, if he was to save the country and party from collapse.
At a highly-charged provincial co-ordinating committee meeting, the executive backed Chadzamira and defied his suspension, saying it was unconstitutional and unprocedural
The meeting was attended by party heavyweights including Masvingo Central MP Edmund Mhere, Gutu Central MP and politburo member Lovemore Matuke, former Gutu West MP Noel Mandebvu, former Masvingo Senator Maina Mandava, Masvingo Senator Clemence Makwarimba and former Finance minister Samuel Mumbengegwi.
In Mashonaland East, Matiza said his suspension was baseless and unconstitutional.
“I am still the revolutionary party chairman for Mashonaland East province. I was elected by the people and won resoundingly. I have full support from the members of the province,” he said
“The suspension is null and void because it is unconstitutional. I will continue to do my work of mobilising support ahead of the 2018 elections as well as strengthening the party in the province. The accusations are not true at all. How can I block people while I was at the rally or event in Harare myself?”
